Tuesday, May 13, 2008

will the mice play?

The pro-PoR 'Segodnya' goes with some speculation on what will happen in parliament on Tuesday.

Here are some loosely translated portions:

Either Yushchenko's power will be decimated, or Yanukovych will be made premier

BYuT prepares to make Ukraine a parliamentary republic - 'Regiony' still pondering..

After relative calm in Ukraine's political arena during the May holidays, the country's leading parliamentary parties are again returning to battle in the next session of the Supreme Council [VR] which restarts on Tuesday. The key issue for parliament will be constitutional reform.

VR deputies [nardepy] from both Party of Regions and BYuT both say they have preliminary projects for changes in the fundamental. At the moment there are no understandings between them, even on joint voting on the creation of a constitution committee in the VR, to say nothing of joint voting on the Constitution itself.

On the eve of May 9th, BYuT revealed the outlines of its version of the fundamental law. It's basic theme - the power of the President is to be reduced to zero. "The President loses the right to assign governors," said BYuT 'nardep' Valeriy Pisarenko, one of the authors of the draft project."The President will lose the right to block the activity of the organs of executive power. Formation of the KabMin will be the exclusive right of the ruling parliamentary coalition, moreover it will not have to co-ordinate the candidature of premier with the President. Furthermore, the President will not have the right to submit to parliament his candidatures for the post of the Ministers of Defense and Foreign Affairs, as presently”.

Former PoR minister of justice Alexander Lavrinovich informed 'Segodnya' that the Constitution text proposed by the Regionaly, to be submitted for consideration by the VR, is not yet ready, although he let it be known that PoR is also disposed to reducing the authorities of the President, and to enlarging the rights of local self-government and elected regional authorities.

One of the leaders of PoR, deputy Sergey Lyovochkin, added that in 'Regional's' constitution the Russian language will be provided the status of second state language, as well as non aligned status for Ukraine. (Pisarenko told 'Segodnya' that thus far, BYuT are not ready to discuss introduction of these two critical items into their version of the Constitution).

Lyovochkin assured 'Segodnya', that they do not have any agreements with Tymoshenko about any joint project. As far as the creation of special commission in parliament to examine changes to the Constitution together with BYuT is concerned, there is no common opinion fomed yet. 'Segodnya's' source in PoR indicates that the party will not support the creation of this commission, if the President speaks out against it. But one prominent 'Regional', Andrey Klyuev, considers that in any event this commission must be created.

Apparently for this reason, deputies have decided not to introduce the question of the commission into the VR agenda. More negotiation is required on this.

The absence of a united position between PoR and BYuT with respect to proposed changes in the Constitution can be explained by the games they are both playing with the President.

A source from 'Regiony' said, "At the moment the party is disposed to discuss with the President the possibility of forming a wide parliamentary coalition, with Yanukovych as PM, so the party will not support the anti-presidential projects of BYuT, particularly as the President, in particular conversations, has let it be known that he was prepared to make specific concessions on the question of the Russian language in the project of fundamental law”.

BYuT has thus far only increased its anti-presidential rhetoric; however, their nearest political ally - the leader of "People Self-Defence", Yuriy Lutsenko, has outlined a scheme of possible compromise between Tymoshenko and Yushchenko. Yesterday Interior Minister Lutsenko stated that he proposed the following to the President: He dismisses the head his secretariat Viktor Baloha, ceases 'destructive activity' against the government, and BYuT, in response, places aside its changes in Constitution. Lutsenko explained that that Yushchenko thus far has rejected this proposal, but who knows what could happen in the future.

Yushchenko was in Lithuania today, and is supposed to be in Israel and Great Britain later this week.